Wax retarder baffle for hearing aids



July 27, 1965 E. N. KUKLOCK 3,197,577

WAX RETARDER BAFFLE FOR HEARING AIDS Filed Sept. 24, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 [NVE/V TOP. EMMETT NKUKLOCK ATTORNEYS July 27, 1965 E. N. KUKLOCK 3,197,577

WAX RETARDER BAFFLE FOR HEARING AIDS Filed Sept. 24, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 12

INVENTOR. .E'MME 77' .N. .KUKL ocn AT TOPNEYS United States Patent 3,197,577 WAX RETARBER BAFF'E FER HEAREN'G AilT S Emmett N. Kuhioeir, Minneapolis, Minus, assignor to Dahiherg Electronics, lino, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed fiept. 2. 196d, Ser. No. 398,989 111 @iaims. (6!. 179-184) This invention pertains to improvements in hearing aids, and more particularly to improvements in an in-the-ear hearing aid which is designed to be worn in the external ear of the user.

One type of prior art in-the-ear hearing aid comprises a housing containing a microphone and an amplifier and which is adapted to be fitted into the ear of the user. A soft resilient hollow boot extends outwardly from the housing and is inserted in the ear canal of the user with the extended end of the boot adjacent to the users eardrum. Mounted inside of the hollow boot is an elongated receiver member which is connected to the output of the amplifier and which produces an acoustic output at its extended end. In order to prevent a large acoustic loss, a sound-emitting aperture extends through the extended end of the resilient boot so that the acoustic output of the receiver is always traveling in the same acoustic medium, that is, air.

The reduction of acoustic loss results in a much greater hearing aid efficiency; however, a problem has been found to exist with this type of hearing aid in that it allows earwax, or cerumen, to pass through the sound-emitting aperture of the hollow boot and clog the acoustic output of the hearing aid receiver. The clogging of the receiver acoustic output results in a rather substantial decrease in hearing aid efficiency and also presents a rather difficult cleaning problem to remove the earwax from the receiver output.

The present invention, on the other hand, provides a novel wax-retarding assembly comprising a baflie and battle support. The bafile support includes a head member having a front and rear surface and further having a pair of arms which extend generally parallelly from opposite sides of the rear surface of the head member. The head member has a baffle-receiving opening extending therethrough. The baflie support is mounted inside of the hollow boot with the arm members contacting opposite sides of the hearing aid receiving portion and with the head member extending into the sound-emitting aperture of the resilient boot. A bafiie is removably mounted in the baffle-receiving opening of the head member of the baffle support, the bafiie having a serpentine or stepped aperture extending therethrough. Since the aperture through the battle is of a serpentine nature, the earwax from the users ear cannot work through the baffle aperture and hence is prevented from clogging the acoustic output of the hearing aid receiver. If the battle becomes clogged with earwax, it is easily removed from the bafile support, and either a new battle can be inserted or the old baflle can be cleaned and reinserted in the hearing aid bafile support. The wax retarder baffie serves a dual purpose in that it not only prevents earwax from clogging the hearing aid receiver, but by inserting flash walls in the baffle, the baflie can be used to shape the acoustic response of the hearing aid by varying the baffle orifice or aperture size.

It is one object of this invention, therefore, to provide an improved in-the-ear hearing aid.

Another object of this invention is to provide an in-theear hearing aid which includes a wax-retarder assembly which prevents earwax from the hearin aid user from clogging the hearing aid receiver acoustic output.

A further object of this invention is to provide an in-the- 3,197,577 Patented July 27, 1965 ear hearing aid having a waX-retarder assembly which includes a baffle support having a bafile removably mounted therein, the bafiie having a serpentine or offset passage therethrough which allows acoustic energy from the output of the receiver to pass therethrough but which prevents earwax from the ear of the hearing aid used from passing through the baflie aperture thereby clogging the hearing aid receiver.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art on consideration of the accompanying specification, claims, and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indi cate like parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an in-the-ear hearing aid embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the present invention shown in perspective;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken along a line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along a line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a moditied version of the bafile support and battle of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5 with the parts assembled;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along a line 7-7 of FIG. 5 with the parts assembled;

FIG. 8 is a perspective View of still another embodiment of the battle of the present invention, parts thereof being broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view as seen from a line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view as seen from a line 10-10 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a perspective View showing a further modiiied version of the battle support and bafiie of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation of the battle and bafile support of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a view partially in section and partially in elevation, similar to FIG. 3, showing a portion of an in the-ear hearing aid utilizing the baffle and baffle support modification shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a hearing aid 2i comprising a housing 21 adapted to be worn in the external ear of the user. Housing 21 has a microphone, an amplifier, and a source of energizing potential, such as a battery, mounted therein, the microphone being mounted adjacent a microphone grill opening 22 in housing 21.

An elongated resilient hollow boot 23 extends outwardly from the interior of housing 21, boot 23 being formed from rubber, or other suitable soft resilient material and having a sound-emitting aperture 24 in the extended end thereof.

An elongated receiver member 25 has an acoustic output aperture 26 at one end thereof, receiver member 25 being capable of producing an acoustic output when energized. Receiver 25 further has opposite side surfaces 27 and 28.

A baffle support 29, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, has a head member 30 having a baffle-receiving opening 31 extending along an axis therethrough. Aperture 31 of head 34} has opposing interior Wall surfaces 32 each having a groove 33 therein, the plane of the grooves 33 being generally transverse to the axis of the bafiie-receiving opening 311 of head member 30. A pair of arms 34, 35 are connected to the head member 34) and extend generally parallelly from opposite sides of the head memher in the same direction as the axis of the bathe-receiving opening 31 of head member 30.

Baffle support 29 is positioned around receiver so that the arms 34 and of bathe support 2? contact the side walls 27 and 2%, respectively, of receiver 25, the head member 3% of baffle support 29 being adjacent the acoustic output aperture 26 of receiver 25.

The receiver 25 and the baffle support 29 are mounted inside of the hollow resilient boot 23 with the head member 3f) of bathe support 2% being positioned in the soundemitting aperture 24- of boot 23. The resilient bootcovered receiver is adapted to be inserted in the ear canal of the user so that the baitie-receiving opening 31 of battle support 29 and the acoustic output aperture 26 of receiver 25 are adjacent the users eardrum.

A baffle 33 has front and rear surfaces 39 and -1-9, respectively, and side surfaces 4-1 and 42, respectively. Baffle 33 has a first passageway 43 extending partially therethrough from the front surface 39 toward the rear surface an; a second passageway 44- extending partially therethrough from the rear surface toward the front surface 3?; and a third passageway 45 extending generally transversely to said first and second passageways 43 and i t, respectively, and joining the interior ends of passageways 43 and 44. The passageways d3, .4, and d5; dcnne a serpentine, or offset, aperture through the battle 3%, the serpentine aperture extending from the front face so to the rear face so of bafile 38. The exterior opposing end wall surfaces 46 and 47 of 33 each have a flange 43 which extends outwardly therefrom. A removal tab is connected to baffle 35 and lies generally in the plane of the front surface 39 of baffle Battle 33 is removably mounted in the baffle-receiving opening 321 of the baffle support 29, the flanges 41% of baffle 38 mating with the grooves 33 in the opposing interior wall surfaces 32 of bafile-receiving opening Sill. The baffle 33 and the baffle support are preferably, though not necessarily, manufactured from relatively soft materials such as acetate, propionate, butyrate, polyethylene, or polypropylene.

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 disclose a second embodiment of bafiie support 29 and baffle Opposing interior wall surfaces 5t) of the baffle-receiving opening 31 of head member 353 are tapered while opposing exterior side surfaces 5ll of baffle 33 are also tapered so as to mate with the taper of the wall surfaces 54) of the baffle-receiving opening 51 of head member Bafile 33 is removably force fit into the bafile-receiving opening 31 of the head member 3a of baffle support 29.

FlGS. 8, 9, and 10 disclose a further embodiment of a baffle suitable for use in the present invention. The bafiie disclosed in PlGS. 8, 9, and 10 is generally similar to the baflie of FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 and like elements are depicted by corresponding numerals. A plurality of partitions 52 are mounted in the passageway partitions 52 being inserted in side by side, spaced apart, relationship along an outer wall 53 of passageway td. The Partitions 52 extend partially into passageway td. The wax-retarder battle of FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 serves a dual purpose of preventing earwax from entering the hollow resilient boot and clogging the acoustic output of the receiver 25' and the flash walls of baffle 39 further serve to shape the acoustic response of the hearing aid FIGS. 11, 12, and 13 disclose a still further embodiment of the present invention wherein the battle and bafie support indicated generally at 59 are formed in integral relationship. Referring to FIGS. 11, 12, and 13, there is shown a head member so having a front surface 61 and a rear surface ea. Head member dill has a first passageway 63 extending partially therethrough from the front surface or toward the rear surface 62; a second passage- Way 64 extending partially therethrough from the rear surface or toward the front surface 61; and a third passageway 65 extending generally transversely to the first and second passageways as and 6d, respectively, and joining the interior ends of passageways es and 64. An outer wall surface so of passageway 64 extends outwardly from the rear surface 62. The passageways 63, and define a serpentine aperture through the head member so, the serientine aperture extending from the front surface of head member so to the rear surface on. A pair of arms or, as are connected to head member and extend generally parallelly from opposite sides of the head member in the same manner as the arms 34 and 35 of the baffle support member shown in FEG. 5. The arm is shorter than the arm 57 for a reason that will described h inafter.

The and baffle support 5) is positioned around receiver so that the arms m and 63 of baffle support \Ui contact the side Walls 2"? and 23, respectively, of receiver 25, the member of} of bafile support b adjacent the acoustic output aperture 26 of receiver The acoustic output aperture of receiver 25 faces the extended portion of outer wall surface of pass way 6 of head member 0. The baffle and baffle support nember 59 is mounted inside the hollow re 'lient boot with the head member of baffle support member 59 positioned in the sound-emitting aperture 2 2- of boot To insert the baffle and baffle support member in the resilient boot 23, the soundemitting aperture is stretched so that the long arm 67 of baffle and baffle support can be inserted betwee the inner surface of the resilient boot and the side wall 25: of receiver The oth r side of the sound-emitting a 2 5 is then stretched so that the arm can be between the opposite inner surface of boot 23 and t e side wall of receiver Arm is shorter in length i order to facilitate the insertion of this arm between the inner surface f the resilient boot 23 and surface of receiver 25.

In operation, the hearing aid 2% is positioned in the car i f the user with the boot portion 23 of the hearing aid being inserted in the ear canal so that the sound-emitting aperture 24 of boot 2,3 is adjacent the eardrum of the user. Without the baffle and battle support of the present invention, earwax from the user would enter through the sound-emitting aperture and clog the acoustic output 26 of receiver 25. This clogging of the acoustic output aperture of the receiver 25 severely decreases the'efiiciency of the hearing aid and further presents a difficult cleaning problem to restore the hearing aid to proper operation.

Because of the stepped or serpentine opening through the baffle 38 of the present invention, the users earWaX can only enter the first or outer passageway 33 and hence is prevented from entering the resilient boot and clogging the acoustic output as of the receiver 25. if the baffle 38 becomes clogged with earwax, it can be removed from the baffle support and can either be discarded and a new bathe inserted in the baffle support, or the clogged baffle can be cleaned and reinserted in the baffle support.

It is to be understood that while I have shown specific embodiments of my invention, that these are for the purpose of illustration only and that my invention is to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An in-the-ear hearing aid comprisin (a) a housing adapted to be fitted into the ear of the user, said housing having an elongated hollow boot extending therefrom;

(b) said hollow boot having a sound-emitting aperture in the extended end thereof;

(c) an elongated receiver member capable of producing an acoustic output from one end thereof, said receiver being mounted inside of said hollow boot so that the acoustic output end of said receiver is adjacent the sound-emitting aperture of said boot, said boot and receiver adapted for insertion in the ear canal of the user with the sound-emitting aperture adjacent the eardrum of the user;

(d) a head member mounted Within the sound-emitting aperture of said hollow boot, said head member having a front surface and a rear surface and having a baffle-receiving opening extending therethrough, from said front surface to said rear surface;

(e) the rear surface of said head member being adjacent the acoustic output end of said receiver;

(f) said head member having a pair of arms connected thereto, said arms extending generally parallelly from opposite sides of said rear surface in the same direction as said baffle-receiving opening, said arms contacting oppoiste exterior surfaces of said receiver and opposite interior surfaces of said hollow .boot to hold said head member in position in said sound-emitting aperture; and

(g) a battle removably mounted in the bathe-receiving opening of said head member, said baffle having an offset aperture extending therethrough in the same direction as said battle-receiving opening.

2. An in-the-ear hearing aid wax-retarding assembly comprising:

(a) a head member having a bathe-receiving opening extending along an axis therethrough, an interior wall of said opening having a groove therein, the plane of said groove being generally traverse to the axis of said battle-receiving opening;

(b) a pair of arms connected to said head member, and extending generally parallelly from opposite sides of said head member in the same direction as the axis of said baffle-receiving opening;

(c) a resilient baffle removably mounted in the bamereceiving opening of said head member and having a front surface and a rear surface and further having exterior surfaces which mate with the interior wall surfaces of the baffle-receiving opening, an exterior wall surface of said baffle having an outwardly extending flange which mates with the groove in the interior wall surface of the baffle-receiving opening to removably lock said bathe in said opening;

((1) said baffle having a first passageway extending partially therethrough from said front surface toward said rear surface and having a second passageway extending partially therethrough from said rear surface toward said front surface, said second passageway being axially offset from said first passageway and including an outer wall surface.

(c) said baffie further having a third passageway extending generally traversely to said first and second passageways and joining the interior ends of said first and second passageways; and

(f) a plurality of partitions in said second passageway, said partitions being inserted in side by side spaced apart relationship along said outer wall surface and extending partially into said second passageway.

3. An in-the-ear hearing aid comprising:

(a) a housing adapted to be fitted into the ear of the user, said housisng having an elongated hollow boot extending therefrom;

(b) said hollow boot having a sound emitting aperture in the extended end thereof;

(0) an elongated receiver member capable of producing an acoustic output from one end thereof, said receiver being mounted inside of said hollow boot so that the acoustic output end of said receiver is adjacent the sound emitting aperture of said boot, said boot and receiver adapted for insertion in the ear canal of the user with the sound emitting aperture adjacent the eardrum of the user; and

(d) a baffle member mounted in the sound emitting aperture of said boot, said bafiie member having an offset passage therethrough to allow acoustic energy to travel from the receiver output to the eardrum of the user and to prevent ear wax from entering the hollow boot and clogging said receiver.

4. In an in-the-ear hearing aid having an elongated hollo w boot with a sound emitting aperture in one end thereof and having an elongated receiver member capable of producing an acoustic output from one end thereof, mounted inside of said hollow boot so that the acoustic output end of said receiver is adjacent the sound emitting aperture of said boot, said boot and receiver adapted for insertion in the ear of a user with the sound emitting aperture adjacent the eardrum of the user, the improvement comprising:

(a) a head member mounted within the sound emitting aperture of said hollow boot, said head member having a front surface and a rear surface and having a battle-receiving opening extending therethrough, from said front surface to said rear surface;

(b) the rear surface of said head member being adjacent the acoustic output end of said receiver,

(0) said head member having a pair of arms connected thereto, said arms extending generally parallelly from opposite sides of said rear surface in the same direction as said baffle-receiving opening, said arms contacting opposite exterior surfaces of said receiver and opposite interior surfaces of said hollow boot to hold said head member in position in said sound emitting aperture; and

(d) a baffle removably mounted in the baffle-receiving opening of said head member, said bafiie having an offset aperture extending therethrough in the same direction as said baffle-receiving opening.

5. An in-the-ear hearing aid wax-retarding assembly comprising:

(a) a head member having a bar e-receiving opening extending along an axis therethrough, said opening having tapered wall surfaces;

(b) a pair of arms connected to said head member,

said arms extending generally paralielly from opposite sides of said head member in the same direction as the axis of said baffle-receiving opening;

(c) a bafile having tapered wall surfaces corresponding to the taper of the wall surfaces of the battle-receiving opening of said head member, said bathe being removably mounted in said baffle-receiving opening; and

(d) said bafile having an offset aperture therethrough,

said aperture eXtending generally in the same direction as the axis of said bafiie-receiving opening.

6. In an in-the-ear hearing aid having an elongated hollow boot with a sound emitting aperture in one end thereof and having an elongated receiver member capable of producing an acoustic output from one end thereof, mounted inside of said hollow boot so that the acoustic output end of said receiver is adjacent the sound emitting aperture of said boot, said boot and receiver adapted for insertion in the ear of a user with the sound emitting aperture adjacent the eardrum of the user, the improvement comprising:

(a) a head member mounted within the sound emitting aperture of said hollow boot, said head member having a bathe-receiving opening extending along an axis therethrough, an interior wall of said opening having a groove therein, the plane of said groove being generally traverse to the axis of said bafflereceiving opening;

(b) a pair of arms connected to said head member, and extending generally parallelly from opposite sides of said head member in the same direction as the axis of said baffle-receiving opening, said arms contacting opposite exterior surfaces of said receiver and opposite interior surfaces of said hollow boot to hold said head member in position in said sound emitting aperture;

(c) a resilient bafile removably mounted in the bafilereceiving opening of said head member and having exterior surfaces which mate with the interior wall surfaces of the bafile-receiving opening, an exterior wall surface of said battle having an outwardly extending flange which mates with the groove in the interior wall surface of the battle-receiving opening to removably lock said bathe in said opening; and

(d) said baflle having an offset aperture therethrough,

said aperture extending generally in the same direction as the axis of said bathe-receiving opening.

'7. An in-the-ear hearing aid wax-retarding assembly comprising:

(a) a head member having a battle-receiving opening extending along an axis therethrough, an interior wall of said opening having a groove therein, the plane of said groove being generally traverse to the axis of said bathe-receiving opening;

(b) a pair of arms connected to said head member, and extending generally parallelly from opposite sides of said head member in the same direction as the axis of said baffle-receiving opening;

(0) a resilient baflie removably mounted in the bafflereceiving opening of said head member and having exterior surfaces which mate with the interior Wall surfaces of the bafiie-receiving opening, an exterior wall surface of said bafde having an outwardly extending flange which mates with the groove in the interior wall surface of the baffle-receiving opening to removably lock said baffle in said opening; and

(d) said bafile having an offset aperture therethrough,

said aperture extending generally in the same direction as the axis of said baffle-receiving opening.

8. An in-the-ear hearing aid wax-retarding assembly comprising:

(a) a head member having a battle-receiving opening extending along in axis therethrough;

(b) a pair of arms connected to said head memoer,

said arms extending generally parailelly from opposite sides of said head member in the same direction as the axis of said bathe-receiving opening;

(c) a baffle removably mounted in the baffle-receiving opening of said head member, said bafile having a front surface and a rear surface;

(d) said baffle having a first passageway extending partially therethrough from said front surface toward said rear surface and having a second passageway extending partially therethrough from said rear surface toward said front surface, said second passageway being axially offset from said first passageway and including an outer wall surface; and

(e) said baffle further having a third passageway extending generally transversly to said first and second passageways and joining the interior ends of said first and second passageways.

9. An in-the-ear hearing aid wax-retarding assembly comprising:

(a) a head member having a baffle-receiving opening extending along in axis therethrough;

(b) a pair of arms connected to said head member,

said arms extending generally parallelly from op- Cir posite sides of said head member in the same direction as the axis of said bathe-receiving opening;

(c) a bathe rcmovably mounted in the baffle-receiving opening of said head member, said bafile having a front surface and a rear surface;

(d) said ba'tlie having a first passageway extending partially therethrough from said front surface toward said rear surface and having a second passageway extending partially therethrough from said rear surface toward said front surface, said second passageway being axially offset from said first passageway and including an outer wall surface;

(e) said baflle further having a third passageway extending generally traversely to said first and second passageways and joining the interior ends of said first and second passageways; and

(f) a plurality of partitions in said second passageway, said partitions being inserted in side by side spaced apart relationship along said outer wall surface and extending partially into said second passageway.

liil. An in-the-ear hearing aid wax-retarding assembly comprising:

(a) a head member having a front surface and a rear surface, and having an axis extending from said front to rear surface, said head member having an offset aperture therethrough, said aperture extending generally in the same direction as the axis of said head member; and

(b) a pair of arms connected to said head member and extending generally parallelly from opposite sides of said head member in the same direction as the axis of said head member.

11. An in-the-ear hearing aid wax-retarding assembly comprising:

(a) a head member having a front surface and a rear surface and having an axis extending in a direction from said front surface to said rear surface;

(b) said head member having a first passageway ex tending partially therethrough from said front surface toward said rear surface and having a second passageway extending partially therethrough from said rear surface toward said front surface, said second passageway being actually offset from said first passageway and including an outer wall surface which extends outwardly from said rear surface;

(c) said head member further having a third passageway extending generally transversely to said first and second passageways and joining the interior ends of said first and second passageways; and

(d) a pair of arms connected to said head member,

said arms extending generally parallelly from opposite sides of said head member in the same direction as the axis of said head member.

References @ited by the Applicant UNITED ST. TES PATENTS Re. 20,871 Donoher.

2,325,590 Carlisle et al. 2,344,023 Carlisle et al. 2,489,277 Faralla. 2,641,327 Balmer.

ROBERT H. RQSE, Primary Examiner. 

5. AN IN-THE-EAR HEARING AID WAX-RETARDING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: (A) A HEAD MEMBER HAVING A BAFFLE-RECEIVING OPENING EXTENDING ALONG AN AXIS THERETHROUGH, SAID OPENING HAVING A TAPERED WALL SURFACES; (B) A PAIR OF ARMS CONNECTED TO SAID HEAD MEMBER, SAID ARMS EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLELLY FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID HEAD MEMBER IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE AXIS OF SAID BAFFLE-RECEIVING OPENING; (C) A BAFFLE HAVING TAPERED WALL SURFACES CORRESPONDING TO THE TAPER OF THE WALL SURFACES OF THE BAFFLE-RECEIVING OPENING OF SAID HEAD MEMBER, SAID BAFFLE BEING REMOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BAFFLE-RECEIVING OPENING; AND (D) SAID BAFFLE HAVING AN OFFSET APERTURE THERETHROUGH, SAID APERTURE EXTENDING GENERALLY IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE AXIS OF SAID BAFFLE-RECEIVING OPENING. 